Unknown and known in tractor-trailer crashes

The coverage of the recent crash involving a tractor-trailer and a pick-up was scant. Just one Pennsylvania TV station covered the deadly collision and its report lasted just a few seconds. Media interest in these violent events is limited, though a few familiar details emerged in this case.

The driver of the pick-up died in the early morning crash, trapped inside what remained of his mangled vehicle. He was 66 years old. The brief video aired of the scene showed the smaller vehicle had been torn apart in the crash, with its back end twisted and pointing skyward.

The station noted that police were investigating the crash, but there was no word on what caused the eastern Pennsylvania tragedy. Again, the few details that were reported are not unfamiliar to those who have been in an accident involving an 18-wheeler or have had a loved one in a big-rig crash.

The stark reality is that occupants of smaller vehicles are much more likely to suffer serious injuries or to be killed. Drivers of the large commercial trucks are much more likely to survive; many walking away from the violent collisions without a scratch.

Physics dictate the outcomes in many of these cases. Big rigs can be 20 or 30 times heavier than passenger vehicles, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says. Plus, tractor-trailers are slower to stop, more difficult to maneuver and are driven by truckers who are often fatigued or distracted.

Pittsburgh residents, and people who live in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, know our interstates, county highways and city streets are often dangerously congested by 18-wheelers. Severe injuries and fatalities are far too often the result of collisions between large and small vehicles.

The skilled lawyers at the Dallas W. Hartman P.C., Attorneys at Law can help you and your family hold responsible parties in large truck accidents accountable for their negligence. Please see our Truck Collisions page for more information.